Work begins on Special Olympics Missouri Training for Life Campus roof

Although not visible from the outside, work has been ongoing under the roof at the Special Olympics Missouri Training for Life Campus for several weeks now; this week, roofers have begun the work of repairing the building's top cover. A portion of the roof was ripped off the gymnasium while the metal trusses in other parts were bent and warped from the high winds in the May 22 tornado. When the roof is sealed, interior repair, replacement and finish work can then get underway. In addition to work to the building, the track will need to be replaced as will the artificial turf on the playing field.
Although not visible from the outside, work has been ongoing under the roof at the Special Olympics Missouri Training for Life Campus for several weeks now; this week, roofers have begun the work of repairing the building's top cover. A portion of the roof was ripped off the gymnasium while the metal trusses in other parts were bent and warped from the high winds in the May 22 tornado. When the roof is sealed, interior repair, replacement and finish work can then get underway. In addition to work to the building, the track will need to be replaced as will the artificial turf on the playing field.

The Jefferson City community has agonized for 4 months over the condition of the Special Olympics Missouri Training for Life Campus.

However, this week, there's been a change.

Crews are working on the roof of the structure, which sustained severe damage during the May 22 tornado that raked through about 3 miles of eastern Jefferson City.

"We are excited to have the roof being started on!" Sue Stegeman, SOMO president and chief executive officer, said in an email to the News Tribune.

The tornado caused widespread damage to the facility's grounds and the 32,500-square-foot structure. That facility housed health and wellness, fitness, sports skills development and sports leadership training centers. It also contained offices for SOMO and SOMO-Central Region.

Work began on the roof Monday and will continue for at least two weeks, involving replacement of the entire roof, Stegeman said.

However, that doesn't mean the centers and offices will be returning anytime soon.

"We are just saying 2020 at this point until we get what the general contractor is calling their final timeline," she said.

Joiner Sheet Metal & Roofing, of Highland, Illinois, is the roof contractor.

The building is the centerpiece of an $18.5 million, 16.5-acre campus at 305 Special Olympics Drive, off Missouri 179 and Christy Drive. It has remained boarded up since the storm.

As soon as the roof is replaced, crews will begin working inside the structure, Stegeman said.